Syaoran's Dating Trial
by Digidynasty
Summary: “Unless you’re scared.” Scared? There were very few keys words you could say to get under a junior high school boy's skin and that was one of them. Syaoran takes on a bet to ask Sakura out. Will he go through with it?
1. Dating Course 101

"Dating Course 101"

Hey journal,

            I know I've written about some pretty amazing things in the past, and yes, most of them were about _her_… this entry is no different.  You see, I was hanging with the guys one day when…                   

"And that's how I got into the girl's locker room…" 

            And I'm sitting here listening to this…why again?  Don't get me wrong, my friend Yamazaki is cool, but some of the things he finds important are beyond me.

            "So, who are you guys taking to the Sweetheart's Ball this Valentine's Day?"  He asks everyone.

            Someone else in our group, one of the new guys…what was his name again?   Anyways, he shrugged and replied, "My girlfriend already _told_ me we were goin'"

            "And I left a note in Mio's locker with my number.  I hope I get a reply."  Another guy said.  Some guys just don't have what it takes…and unfortunately, I'm one of them

            The idea of the dance brought _her_ to mind again.  I know I've got better things to do, but it's strange.  No matter what I'm doing, she always comes into my mind.  Her short auburn hair and striking green eyes, then there's her smile that makes me all fluttery inside.

            Yamazaki turned to me and rudely broke off my wonderful daydream.  "So Syaoran, who are you taking?"

            I blinked out of my thoughts and frowned at him.  "To what?"  I can't remember what they were talking about.  That's what she does to me.  When she's around, or even when I'm just thinking about her, nothing else exists for me.

            "Only the biggest couple event of the semester."  Came his reply.  "The Sweetheart's Ball!"

            "Oh that?"  I was never into those kinds of things.  So I coolly replied, "I wasn't planning on going."

            "Why not ask someone?"  He continued.  "I've heard rumors that there are tons of girls out there just waiting for you to ask them.  Don't ask me, but there's something you got that drives the girls around here crazy."

            Yeah, sure: my quiet and secluding personality?"Nah, they're not my type."  Well, that's half true.__

"Not one of them?"

            Well, of course, there was one of them.  One girl.  One simple, attractive, and carefree girl whose image materializes in my mind's eye.

            Sakura…

            She was head of the cheerleading squad and I spent nearly every afternoon watching her practice (from afar of course).  You ask anyone in school who Sakura was and they'd nod a yes.

            "I'm guessing from your _lack_ of a response, that's a yes."  Yamazaki teased.

            "Ask her out!"

            "Yeah, ask her out!"

            "Uh…I…" I hated being cornered like this.

            "Unless you're scared."

            Scared?  There were very few key words that one could say to get under a high school boy's skin and that was one of them.

            I did the only thing I could do when challenge in such a manner.  I shot to my feet and shouted, "Fine, I will ask her!"

            Okay, so that wasn't a very good idea, I figured that out later…

            I hit my head on the table repeatedly after lunch was over and my last class had started.

            Why did I agree to do this again?  There's no way I can ask her and there's no way she's say yes.  I'm doomed.

But I said that I would so how am I supposed to get out of it?

            Then, someone came to mind.

            Meilin.  My very own annoying cousin was going to be my salvation.  I'd have to do some major persuading, but she could teach me what I needed to know to pull this off…

            Right after school, I ran home and went into her room.

            "Hey, Syaoran."  She said, standing up from her bed.

            "Meilin, I need your help."

            "Really?  It must be important if you're actually asking for help.  What's up?"

            "I sorta, kinda, maybe said I'd ask you-know-who out to the Sweetheart's Ball."

            "Oh."  Meilin understood immediately.  She'd known me since we were both in kindergarten and had been the first one to notice my…odd behavior around the cheerleader.  "Isn't the dance this Valentine's Day?"           

            "…Yeah…"

            Meilin sighed.  "Alright, we'll start today.  Get ready and we'll leave now."

            "Got it, thanks Meilin.  I owe you one."

            "No, you owe me two." Then she shooed me out of her room to get ready herself.

            I go to my room and get out of my uniform.  Mission Impossible had now begun.

            Meilin led me through the mall as I struggled with the many boxes of clothes and accessories she said I'd need to get Sakura to say yes.

            "Arr hu srre allfis shtuff ish neshishary?" Most of my voice was absorbed into the multiple pieces of cardboard and plastic that also blocked my vision.

            "Dear, dear cousin.  You asked for my help and I'm giving it to you.  Do you want to appear like a slob or a gentleman?"

            I wondered… What had I gotten myself into?

            The next two days went by in a blur.  It was harsh and exhausting, but she managed to teach me the basics of dating and asking a girl out in a class she called "Dating 101".  I don't know how I'd survived, but the final exam was yet to come…

            "How are you going to ask her?"

            "What?"

            "Pretend I'm her and ask me out to the ball."  Meilin sat down on her bed and waited patiently for me to begin.

            I took a deep breath.  "Sakura, I've seen you around school and I liked what I saw…"

            "Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong."  She rudely interrupted.  "All wrong.  Are you trying to come across as a jerk or does it just come naturally?"

            I don't reply.

            "You need to talk to her and treat her like a woman.  Now, try again."

            And so we did until she felt I was ready.  Then came the big day.

            I stood around the corner and waited for Sakura to come out of the girl's locker room.  She was usually the last to come out, so it was the perfect opportunity to "make my move".

            When she came out, I called to her, "Sakura!"

            Sakura turned and, upon seeing me, smiled.

            _Open with a compliment._  Meilin's voice echoed in my head.

            "I saw you practicing just now.  You're really great."

            She blushed.  "Thanks, we're practicing for the National Competition next month."

            "I'm sure you'll do fine."  Don't blush.  Don't blush.  Whatever you do, don't blush.

            I saw Sakura's face show slight worry.  "Are you okay?  Are you running a fever or something?"  She placed a cool hand on my head, which needless to say, made it worse.

            "I-I'm fine." I pulled back a bit.  "Can I walk you home?"

            She nodded and we walked out of the school together.

            The more we talked, the more comfortable I got until we were at her door and my futile attempt to stall was gone.  I was out of time.

            "Sakura?"

            Sakura turned to me.  "Yes?"

            "Um…I…" I soon found it hard to breath, let alone speak.  "About next week…I was wondering…"

            "Do you want to go to the Sweetheart's Ball with me?"  She suddenly interrupted.

            "Huh?"  Had I heard right?  Was my mind playing tricks on me or did I just hear…

            I saw Sakura turn a light pink.  Was she shy?  "That is unless you already have a date…"

            "No, no."  I quickly said.  "I'd love to."

            We said our goodbyes and as soon as she closed the door, I let out a "whoop!" of victory.

            And that's how I got a date with THE Sakura.  But, writing this brought another problem to mind, journal: I don't know how to dance!  Maybe I should ask Tomoyo if she teaches Dating 120: Dancing…  Yeah, that's what I'll do.

2-19-2002   Hopefully-not-to-be-single-for-long Syaoran

            


	2. Dating Course 120

Dating Course 120: Dancing

Journal, 

You gotta help me out!  I'm glad Sakura said yes and all, but there's a problem…I can't dance!  Back in Hong Kong, I avoided all school dances.  I only attended a few and that was because Meilin dragged me to them insisting I learn to dance so I wouldn't make a fool of her at "our wedding".  I know she helped me ask Sakura out, but the last time I went to a dance with her I had to be carried home because she stepped on my feet so much!  That's how bad of a dancer she is!

So, I can't ask her.  What I might have to do is ask Sakura's best friend Tomoyo.  She always has to go to social functions with her mom for the company and everything.  She has to know how to dance.  But, the only problem there is that she might tell Sakura about it, or insist on coming along to video tape it.  But I have no choice.  I'm going to this dance and I'm gonna get Sakura to go out with me!

I decided to go to Tomoyo's house personally instead of confronting her at school.  I was afraid it might tip off Sakura to what I needed help with.  

I'm standing at the front gate, afraid to hit the intercom.  Why is my heart beating so fast?  Is it because Tomoyo's house just happens to be a mansion?  I don't know, but slowly my hands raises up to hit the button.

"Who is it?"  A voice replies from the speaker box.

"Uh…" I stutter.  "It's Syaoran."

There's a slight pause, then the voice says.  "Very well, hold on one moment please."  As promised, a moment later the two large black gates pull apart, letting me walk inside and up to the main door.

The doors are opened by woman bodyguards dressed in all black, and a smiling Tomoyo comes running outside.  "Syaoran!  What a pleasant surprise!  What brings you by here so un-expectantly.  It wouldn't happen to be the dance on Valentine's Day would it?"  She smiled knowingly, her violet eyes twinkling with mischief.

My face reddens as I try and think up a response.  "I-uh, I need you to teach me how to dance."

Her eyes widen in surprise and I look down at the ground in shame.  "Is that all?  Of course I'll help you!  Come on inside!"  She takes my hand and practically drags me inside.  I'm thinking her and Meilin are related somehow.  They gotta be.

She takes me to her overly large room and sits me down in one of the chairs.  "What do you need to learn?"

"Well, I learned back in Hong Kong how to use my martial arts to create something that can be passed off as dancing, but I don't know how to…slow dance."  I admit.  Why is this so hard?

Tomoyo nods.  "I understand.  There's nothing to it, really."  She gets up and goes to her stereo system and picks a CD that I'm assuming has something appropriate for learning slow dancing.  I'm right, cause soon after a slow romantic song ensues.

She gets up and goes to me, holding out her hand.

I blink in confusion.  "Huh?"  What did she want me to do with it?

"Get up."  She instructed.  I do and she takes my hand and puts it on her waist.  I immediately blush and back off.

"I can't do that!  I can't get that close!"

Tomoyo giggles and pulls me close again.  "Well, you're gonna have to.  Sakura's been looking forward to this for too long and I already have a dress ready for her."

"You do?"  I sigh and swallow the lump in my throat.  "Okay, what else do I have to do?"

Tomoyo puts my hand back on her waist and puts the other one in her hand.  "You can slow dance in one of two ways.  One is like this.  One hand on the waist, while the other is out and holding your partners."

I nod, understanding it so far.  "Okay."

She then puts that hand on the other side of her waist, while she puts both her hands around my neck, clasping them together.  "The other is like this."  She starts to move back and forth to the music and I try to follow along, all the while watching my feet to make sure I didn't pull off a Meilin.

With a finger she raises my chin up to eye level.  "Don't watch you're feet all the time.  Look at her, stare into her eyes, her hair, anything to make sure she knows you're paying attention to her and only her."

No problem there.  Whenever I'm with her it's like nothing else matters anyway.

It takes a few hours, but I manage to get through a whole song without stepping on Tomoyo's feet _or_ messing up any other way.  Turning off the music, Tomoyo smiles.  "Would you like to see it?"

I frown.  "Huh?  See what?"

"The dress silly!  Don't you want to know what she's gonna look like?  It might help keep some of the nervousness down."

I shake my head thinking.  _Nothing's gonna help my nervousness that night_.  "Uh, no thanks.  I think I'll like to be surprised."

She nods and smiles.  "Well, if you need anything else just ask!"

"Yeah, are you goin'?"

She nods again.  "Like I would miss out on an opportunity to record my wonderful Sakura on her first date with the boy she-  I mean, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"  

What was she going to say…I wonder.  I shrug it off.  "Okay, well I'll see you around."  I wave goodbye and make my way out.  She insists on walking me to the outer gates, which is fine with me.  After getting home and collapsing on my bed, I sigh.  Now all I had to do was get through the actual date…

Standing at her front door for the past five minutes, my hand stays still, an inch from knocking on the door.  Why am I hesitating?  Why can't I just open the damn door!  On the other side is the girl I've liked for a while now, all dressed up ready to go to the dance with me, and I can't even tell her I'm here!

Taking a deep breath and bracing myself for what would follow next, I knock on the door twice.  Immediately putting my hand back down to close around the white corsage I bought for her, I feel my heart beat race in my chest.  This was it…

The door opened and my eyes laid upon…

Touya!  Her big brother stood there, a mean expression on his face.  "Can I help you?"  He said in a rather annoyed tone.

I would have retorted, but instead the beautiful form of Sakura pushed her brother aside with a mean expression, thankfully directed towards him.  "Mou, Touya.  Enough with this over protectiveness of yours!"  She scolded.

He growled, yet did not respond.  

It was when she was satisfied that he wouldn't bother us, that she turned towards me with the smile that first made me fall in love with her.  Her face tinted a slight pink as I stood there, eyes wide and a lost expression on my face.  I quickly shake my head and try to focus again.

Her dress was off the shoulder, a dark emerald green with small white lace adorning it here and there.  It was very ruffled near the end, yet it did wonders showing her lithe form around the waist area.  

She giggled, when I still did not say anything, which broke my trance of her beauty.  I just had to cover up by telling her, "You look beautiful in that dress."

She blushed even more and looked down at the ground to try and hide it.  "You look very handsome too."

This makes me blush and I smile, handing her the corsage.  "Though you might like this."

She takes it and closes the door behind her, ignoring her brother's final protests.  "Shall we go?"  She takes my hand in one of hers, the other holding the flower, and together we walk down to the school.

As I had suspected, Tomoyo was there waiting, her dark purple dress with spaghetti straps also complimented her figure.  She was standing there with her camera, completely content that she would be able to record Sakura and not bothering to get a date.

I stood there, smiling, pretending to listen to the two girls chatting outside the ballroom, while I stared at Sakura standing in front of me.  Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would get a date with her.  She was so popular with the guys I was convinced she saw one of them as a potential date.

After a while, she turned towards me.  Her mouth moved, but I didn't hear anything.  I simply looked deep into her eyes, so clear and sparkling in the moonlight.  If this was a dream, don't let it end.

"Syaoran?"

I snap back to reality with a shake of my head.  "Huh?"

Sakura giggled.  "I asked if you were ready to go inside now."

I nod, bending my elbow so she could wrap her arm around it.  I notice the corsage on her wrist.  It really finishes off the outfit.  Once inside, the music fills our ears and I lead her to the side where a buffet had been placed.  "Would you like something to drink?"  I offer.

"Some punch would be nice."  She said with a smile.

I go off towards the man serving the punch.  "Three please."  May as well give Tomoyo one as a thank you.

Yamazaki walks up and nudges me in the ribs.  "I see you got her to come.  Sakura, huh?  I would've never guessed!"

I take the three drinks in my hand and shrug casually.  "Well, the bet's off.  I changed my mind.  She's worth more than some stupid bet."  With that I leave him behind me.

Giving the punch to both girls, I hear a fast song begin and a mischievous look goes across Sakura's face.  "I love this song!  Let's dance!"

Before I could talk my way out of it, Tomoyo takes my drink and Sakura leads me to the dance floor.  Sakura immediately starts dancing back and forth to the beat, moving her hands this way and that, not really caring what she was doing, but just having a fun time.

I do what I would normally do: I start to rave by using punches and slow kicks that make a very unique kind of dance.  She smiles and giggles, recognizing my moves, but not really minding it at all.

"Do you wanna be my teddy bear?  Hugs and kisses everywhere!"  Smile DK's popular song Teddy Bear plays for a while, then it ends and a slow song begins.  _Okay, here we go.  You've been practicing a lot, so it should be easy.  Just do it like you did with Tomoyo._

Thinking about her, I turn my head and see Tomoyo with her video camera, smiling away.  Sakura puts one hand on my shoulder and I slowly put one hand on her waist.  Then together we wrap our fingers together with our other hands and begin to sway back and forth.

It's amazing.  I feel on cloud nine!  The way her hair moves and the slight sparkles I see in her dress reflecting from the overhead lights, gives her an angelic look.  I'm dancing with an angel.

Remembering not to look at my feet, I simply stare into her eyes, finding them already locked onto mine.  Then it happens.  Everything around us seems to fade into darkness and nothing exists except Sakura and me.  I don't even hear the music anymore.  We move back and forth, somehow never hitting each other or stepping on each other's feet.

She pulls herself closer to me, laying her head on her chest.  The scent of her rises up to my nostrils.  Sakura blossoms in full bloom.  The scent seems to follow her everywhere.  I feel her warm body against mine and I try not to pass out from the lightheadedness that I feel when I'm around her.

Finding my hands already on her waist, I hold her close, never wanting this moment to end.  But then, she stops moving and pulls a little bit away.  "It's over."

I blink in confusion, everything around me seeming to crash into itself.

"The song.  It's over.  Do you wanna take a rest now?"  She repeats.

Then I remember where I was and notice that the slow song had indeed stopped and that another fast song had started.  "Yeah, sure.  Let's go outside."

We sat down on a bench right next to a beautiful light up fountain.  Bright rays of green and pink danced across the flowing water.  It was a very romantic scene.

She played with some of the ruffles in her dress, while I was just content at staring at her.  All of a sudden, she giggled.

"What?"  I smile at her.  Her smile was always so beautiful.

"I was just thinking how incredibly unbelievable this is."  She replied.

My heart stops.  Had I forgotten something?  Was she really upset with me for doing something or even worse: _not_ doing something I should have and was about to explode in anger at me?

"I never believed you'd agree to go out on a date with me.  Let alone a dance."  She continues to giggle.

Relief floods my veins and I join in the laughter with her.  "You had that fear too?"  Oops…mistake.  Now shell know I was afraid too!

Her laughter stops and she turns to me in shock and confusion.

I try and think up an excuse, but my heart seems to run away with me.  "I know you're popular and all, but I always took the time to go watch your cheerleading practices or walk by your house after school, hoping to catch a glimpse of you in your window."  I admit.  Why am I telling her this?  She'll think I'm some kind of stalker!  I better explain myself and beat myself over it later…

"Yeah, cause ever since I had you for class in the fourth grade, I could never get enough of watching you."  _And that hasn't changed._  I thought.  "I would hear all the guys talking about asking you out and I never once thought you'd say yes to me.  Then, when I finally get the guts to, you ask me first."  I laugh at the awkwardness of that moment.

She smiles.  "I remember.  I had trouble in math and you tutored me for a while."  She pauses.  "I probably didn't realize it then, but I started to like you even way back then."

I gasp.  What did she just say?  I look over at her in shock and she finally catches what she just said, her face turning a beautiful red in color.  

_Make her feel like she's the most important thing in the world._  Tomoyo's voice came back to me.

"I-I l-like you t-t-t-too."  I manage.  Man was that hard.

She smiles and leaps forward, wrapping her arms around my neck, almost knocking me into the fountain.  My arms wrap around her lithe form almost instinctively.  She snuggles her head into my chest with a sigh.  "This has been the best night ever."

I smile and close my eyes.  The next words seem to come so naturally.  "Will you go out with me?"  She gasps and looks up into my eyes.  Looking into her eyes in return, I clarify.  "As my girlfriend?"

She smiles even wider and tackle hugs me again.  "Yes!  Yes I will!"

I hold onto her tight, never wanting to let go.  Looking up at the night stars I see a shooting star.  I close my eyes and bow my head.  No need to make a wish on that star.  I have all I'll ever want right here in my arms.

Whatever I said about fate being unfair or anything like that in the past, I take it back.  Fate gave me the one thing in life I truly wanted.  And now love will do the rest.


End file.
